


Balance

by storyofaginger



Category: RWBY
Genre: Atlas Date Night, Bees Date Night, F/F, Fluff, One Shot, Romance, Somewhat Canon Compliant?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22235896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storyofaginger/pseuds/storyofaginger
Summary: This is what they did. They pushed each other. Yang would push her and she would push back...It always felt real, like she was actually going to fall. That was the thrilling part. But she never did. Yang never let her. And somehow they always managed to find the perfect balance.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 11
Kudos: 161





	Balance

“Is this the place?”

“I guess?” Yang replied with a shrug. 

“I think I just expected something with a little more…”, Blake trailed off as she stared longer at the bare, dark, windowless brick building across the street. There were no signs, no neon lights, no wandering drunks, no long lines of people waiting to go in. Just brick.

“Pizazz?!” Yang offered animatedly, using her hands to gesture to the building in front of them. The unexpected word choice forced a laugh out of Blake.

“Something like that,” She shot a smile at Yang before quickly turning away, nodding her head in agreement. “Maybe...maybe it’s nicer inside?” she asked optimistically.

“I mean, if it isn’t we can always just ditch them,” Yang grinned mischievously. 

“Yang..” 

A burst of icy wind tore through the alley, interrupting what Blake was going to say by whipping her hair in front of her face, causing her to shiver and clutch her arms more tightly to herself 

Yang scanned up and down the alley impatiently, not a sole in sight. Not even voices could be heard. Her grin was quickly replaced with a look of unamusement and frustration. “Watch Neon tricked us and sent us to some abandoned clown factory...” 

“I don’t think Flynt would have let her do that…”

“But what if she sent us the wrong directions _on purpose_?! I swear if I find out...” 

A beep from her scroll caused Blake to tune the rest of Yang’s rant out as she read the message. 

_Neon: OMG lke u guys r such slowpokes!_

“Neon says they’re here already,” Blake interjects, abruptly halting Yang’s rant.

“Huh?”

Blake searched up and down the street again, just to reassure herself she wasn’t blind. 

_Blake: We don’t see you!_

_Flynt: Around the side!_

“Blake!” 

Yang’s call caused Blake to look up. Yang waved her over from across the street. Apparently she had already started to wander towards one of the sides of the building. Blake hurriedly crossed the street to where Yang was waiting as another burst of wind tore through. Halfway down the dark, very narrow, side alley she noticed a man standing next to a railing, waving at them. She felt an arm wrap around her, Yang’s body blocking her somewhat from the wind as the hand cradling the small of her back gently led her further into the alley. 

“You made it!” Flynt cheered as they approached.

“Lookin good Belladonna,” Flynt greeted with a suave smile and tip of his hat. He turned to Yang and met her with a high five. “Xiao Long.”

“Hey!”

“Pfffffft she looks like she just rolled out of bed with that rats nest! Of course ditzy blonde can’t read directions righhhOH MY GOSH BLAKEY your hair is TOO cute! And YOUR OUTFIT” Neon appeared from behind Flynt, bursting with energy as always and wildly gesturing towards Blake.

“Hey Flynt. Hey Neon.” Blake greeted warmly. Yang still hadn’t removed the hand from her back and the thumb that idly brushed circles on her spine was incredibly distracting. 

“So, uhhh...some place you picked Neon,” Yang deadpanned and gestured to the vacant alley littered with trash. 

“This place is hard to find and doesn’t look like much from the outside,” Flynt explained, “but trust me this is _the_ best club in Mantle. By far.”

“This place is the BEST!” Neon added while jumping up and down. “We are going to have SO MUCH FUN!” 

“You ready? Kobalt and Ivori are already inside?” asked Flynt 

Yang cast a small side glance to Blake and their eyes met briefly, which caused both their mouths to curl. “Let’s go!” 

Flynt led them through a plain glass door behind the railing. Only now with the door open could they hear the familiar thudding bass and crowds of people they’ve come to associate with clubs. But the only thing in front of them was a dark, cement stairs leading down. As they descended, they rounded a corner and suddenly there were walls covered floor to ceiling with neon graffiti that seemed to glow under dim, blue-tinted lights. A large crowd of people waiting to enter the club lined the right side of the staircase the rest of the way down. Flynt and Neon shoved and shimmied their way through the crowd to where Kobalt and Ivori stood in line. Instinctively, Yang reached behind her and Blake entwined their fingers so they wouldn’t get separated as they squeezed through the crowd and followed. 

The staircase was _entirely_ too small for the amount of people entering and leaving the club. Blake’s back dug uncomfortably against the railing and Yang stood beside her on the same step, her palm braced against the wall near Blake’s head to prevent them from being shoved by people passing by. In front of them, Neon and Flynt were absorbed in a conversation with Kobalt and Ivori, but it sounded like Neon was doing most of the talking. 

Blake’s gaze met Yang’s face for the first time since entering the club and she was slightly taken aback by how close Yang stood next to her. Her pulse flutters and it’s a disorienting sensation. She quickly tares her gaze away, desperately trying to distract herself with anything else but Yang.

“So,” Blake began, fingers tapping on the railing behind her “abandoned clown factory?” she asked bemused, choosing to instead focus on the texture of the collar of Yang’s bomber jacket. 

“Well, yeah!...I mean clowns have to get their like creepy shoes and makeup from somewhere right?” Yang teased optimistically. 

“Something tells me there aren’t too many clowns in Atlas or Mantle.” 

“Really?!” Yang wondered and then leaned so she was speaking into Blake’s ear “because I think we encountered plenty of clowns so far,” she explained slyly, pointing a metal thumb at a certain friend in front of them who was still too distracted talking to take notice. 

Blake laughed. “Be nice,” she chided, which caused Yang to laugh as well. 

“It _was_ nice for them to invite us out tonight,” Yang requited. 

“Mmm,” Blake responded distractedly as Yang pulled away. “You know, I haven’t been to many clubs like this,” she admitted.

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve been to bars before but,” Suddenly Blake was struck with the memory of the last time she was in a club. “I think the only other time I was in a club, we blew it up,” she remarked dryly. 

“Are you nervous?” Yang blurted out

Blake finally allowed her eyes to meet Yang’s properly and she was met with curiosity, a tinge of concern and, the tiniest bit of Yang’s own nervousness perhaps? The interpretation of the question was elusive. Was she referring to going in general? It’s not like she had never gone out before. Danced with people before. Or was she referring to being nervous going with _her_ ? They never talked about it. Whatever _this_ was _._ But at some point, something did change and Blake found it exciting, intoxicating and sometimes a little bit terrifying. It was just a flash, she could have easily imagined it, but just the suspicion that Yang, cocky, confident _Yang_ , felt nervous too was enough for her to release the breath she had been holding since they entered the club, since they left the dorms really. She _was_ nervous. But not because of Yang. Because she dreaded the possibility of having to dance with people other than Yang, dreaded the possibility of other people putting their hands on her. Just the thought of hands on her waist, her back, her thighs made her skin crawl. But for some reason the thought of Yang doing it didn’t bother her. The only reason she was here was _because_ of Yang. Yang was her partner, her best friend. Yang was comfortable. Yang was safe. 

“No,” she inhaled as she brought her fingers to trace the skin on the arm braced near her head. “No, not with you” she whispered genuinely.

Yang breathed with her mouth open, as if she was going to say something, but they realized the line was finally moving and the bouncers were starting to check team FNKI’s IDs.

Once inside, the club was not nearly as claustrophobic as it’s entrance. In fact, the space was huge. They wandered off to the side to check their coats and weapons while some of team FNKI beelined to the bar. Blake waited for Yang to finish checking her things and watched the woman on stage belting out the lyrics to some song, watched how the lights reflected off the haziness of air. She could actually _feel_ the bass in here, it rattled in her core. The energy was palpable. An arm wrapped around her waist, pressing against her bare midriff. 

“You ready?” Yang asked with a smile. Blake wrapped her own arm around the blonde’s waist and nodded. Team FNKI were not hard to find at the bar. Between Neon’s glitter and Flynt’s white outfit the two of them glowed like a lightbulb under the blacklight. 

Ivori handed each of them a shot as Flynt toasted “To a night off!”. They cheered, clinked glasses, Neon shouted a “Woohoo” and they downed their shots. Blake had no clue what they were drinking, but it burned almost unpleasantly on the way down. She tried her best not to let it show. She was never that partial to shots. Meanwhile, the way Yang took her shot was borderline inappropriate if you asked Blake. Her neck stretched as she tilted her head, hair cascading down her back and she seemingly took the shot without even blinking. She let the urge to kiss her wash through, coming and going like a wave. That was happening more and more often lately.

No sooner had everyone slammed their glasses on to the bartop, Neon loudly proclaimed “OOOHHH I have an idea! Let’s play...never have I ever!” 

Yang and Flynt’s groans could be heard over Ivori and Kobalt’s agreement. “Comon, Neon what are we 12?” Flynt complained. Blake glanced slyly at Yang before returning to Neon, “It could be fun,” she added. Yang gave her a betrayed look at first but it quickly morphed into one of determination, refusing to back down from a challenge. “Alright, fine. I’m in,” she relented. 

“We’ll each go around and ask a question and if you’ve done that thing, you’ll have to drink!” Neon explained. 

“Gods Neon, we weren’t born _yesterday_ ,” Yang sniped which caused Flynt to snicker. 

“Shut it, Ditz!” Neon sneered. “Alright, Ivy! Go first!” she demanded loudly once everyone had a drink in hand. 

“Wait, wha?” Ivori responded bewildered, clearly distracted and not expecting his turn. “Ok….umm...never have I ever...gone rollerblading?” he finished lamely. 

“Haha!” Yang mocked, pointing at Neon. 

“Pfffft,” Neon made a loud raspberry noise, “that one was boring!” she complained as she took a sip of her drink. “Flynt! Go next! Don’t be a baby, ask something fun!”

“Never have I ever...kissed a guy?” Flynt asked exasperated. Neon groaned at the cliche question. Ivori and Kobalt exchanged a knowing smirk before taking a sip of their drinks along with everyone else. 

“UGH!” Neon grumbled. “Blakey! It’s your turn, show them how it’s done.” 

“Never have I ever…,” Blake pondered with her straw in between her teeth, carefully examining the group until her eyes fell back on to Yang. Yang smirked at her, challenging her. Egging her on to ask her worst and see who could get the other to crack first. Oh, Blake _had_ ideas. Ideas that she was sure would win...Not because she was curious or anything…But she didn’t particularly want to ask any of them in front of the others. For Yang’s sake of course. 

“Owned a motorcycle,” she finished. Yang cocked her eyebrows at her, as if to say _really?_ , while taking a sip of her drink.

“Wait. You own a motorcycle Xiao Long?” Flynt asked. 

“Yeah!” Yang answered excitedly. “Well, I did. Her name was Bumblebee! She was a--” 

“That’s badass.”

“What’s with you guys?! These questions are LAME!” Neon whined over Flynt and Yang’s conversation. “Kobalt PLEASE ask something spicy!” she begged, practically kneeling on the floor of the club.

“Never have I ever kissed a girl,” he responded simply. 

Instantly, Blake and Yang’s eyes locked with each other at the question. Blake regarded Yang with her glass pressed to her chin, patiently waiting for Yang to drink. Yang had lifted her glass as if she was going to drink but hadn’t yet, her eyes intensely trained on Blake. The rest of the group seemed oblivious to their standoff but to Blake it was as if they weren’t even there. Blake squinted ever so slightly, still patiently waiting. Yang squinted back in challenge. Blake never knew that violet could burn her. Yang’s eyes were daring her to drink first. Urging her to drink first. _Hoping for her to drink first?_ Heat lanced through Blake, charging her with confidence. She ceremoniously brought her glass to her lips, threw her head back and drank half of her drink one gulp. She caught Yang’s astonished expression over the rim, her eyebrows practically at her hairline. Her reaction filled Blake with triumph. When she finished she looked at Yang expectantly, smug written all of her face. Yang’s eyes were still wide from surprise but they shined with admiration and curiosity, her mouth partially opened and stretched into a toothy half-grin. Her shoulders shook with slight laughter as she finally, somewhat guilty, took a big swig of her drink, still looking at Blake with interest. Blake bit her straw but then, Yang waggled her eyebrows suggestively over her glass, which caused Blake to snort into her drink. The funny sound caught the attention of the rest of the group. Suddenly, everyone’s eyes were on Blake and Blake felt very much on display. 

“OOOOOHHH Blakey!” Neon loudly proclaimed with interest, “I didn’t know you were so SPUNKY.” 

“You and Yang drank too,” Flynt complained flatly

“Yeah, but it’s so OBVIOUS that Ditz here is like the biggest dyke EVER. But Blakey!” Neon rushed up to Blake and leaned close to her face, which caused Blake to instinctively step back. “I didn’t peg you for the _type_ ,” Neon explained slyly while closely examining her. To Blake’s dismay, she could feel the ears on the top of her head giving away her embarrassment, pressing against her scalp. This seemed to get an even greater reaction out of Neon. “OH. MY. GOSH! You’re kitty ears are so ADORABLE when you’re embarrassed!” she gushed, clasping both hands on her checks and yelling even louder. Blake cringed in deeper embarrassment. “We should DEFINITELY dance together! Dance with me!”

Blake felt the nervousness from before begin to creep back in as she tried to picture herself dancing. She pictured herself clumsily trying to dance with Yang back in the dorms and remembered Yang’s laugh as she teased her, then pictured doing that _with Neon_ . Unconsciously, she took another small step backwards and was surprised when she collided with something solid and warm. Two hands came up from behind to rest on her shoulders, one soft, one metal. “Sorry Neon,” Yang’s voice filtered behind her. She felt an arm slide from her shoulder to drape over her collarbone as Yang leaned heavily into her. Blonde hair pressed against her check, obstructing a clear view of Yang’s face. But, she felt Yang’s head tilt as she raised her chin and she could just _picture_ her confident, suave smile. “But, I kind of promised Blake the first dance.” 

Neon pouted, fists on her hips, looking clearly irritated. Thankfully, Flynt interjected.

“Hey Neon? Common room routine?” he asked hopefully over the cheering crowd as the song changed, extending a hand out.

As quickly as her mood changed to annoyed, her mood changed back to her usual self. “Common room routine?! COMMON ROOM ROUTINE!” she shrieked, clapping and bouncing excitedly before accepting Flynt’s hand. They spun on to the dance floor and then began a series of very elaborate steps that were clearly rehearsed. 

Blake turned in Yang’s grasp to face her more fully and Yang’s hands brushed against her to rest on her shoulders again. She brought a hand up to tuck some hair behind her ear and sheepishly said, “Thanks.” 

“Don’t thank me yet Belladonna,” Yang threatened dangerously with a wicked smile that _almost_ surprised Blake. “You still promised you’d dance with me,” she grinned, eyes darkening as she leaned her face closer to Blake and gently pushed her backwards towards the dance floor. In the past, such behavior would make Blake nervous, panic even. But this was _Yang_ . She felt her breath leave her body all at once, not because of nervousness, but because of _anticipation_. Her gaze never left Yang’s smoldering one as she absentmindedly threw her empty glass on to a random table and gripped Yang’s forearms to steady herself. Yang led them further on to the dance floor before Blake abruptly stopped, causing Yang’s front to bump into hers. She brought her hands to loosely lock around Yang’s neck under her mane of hair and they shared a smile before Yang began to set the rhythm. 

Dancing with Yang was _nothing_ like her experiences dancing in the past. First of all, Yang wasn’t afraid to pull her close, often times flush against her. Second of all, dancing with Yang was _fun_ . The other would go for a dip or a spin and they would belly-laugh, not having to fear that their partner might drop them. Yang’s hands were warm, not awkward. Though a little hesitant at first, Blake’s self-consciousness about dancing quickly melted away. Maybe it was the alcohol hitting her. Maybe it was Yang’s gentle hands. Maybe it was Yang’s general goofiness. But, as they danced, Blake forgot about it all. Forgot about the political shitshow surrounding them right now. Forgot about the ever looming darkness that seemed to follow them around. Forgot about _why the hell_ they had been walking on eggshells around each other for so long. In that moment, for the life of her, Blake could not figure out why she hadn’t kissed this magnificent woman who had her arms tightly wrapped behind her waist from behind and was over-exaggeratedly rocking them to a rhythm, making her laugh.

“So,” she felt Yang’s hot breath tickle a cat ear, making it twitch. “When are you going to tell me who these women you’ve been kissing are?” Yang teased. Clearly an attempt to mask her curiosity. 

Blake grinned at the question and the obvious intention. “It was nobody you know,” she reassures.

“That’s not really an answer.” Yang point outs. 

Blake rolls her eyes at the absurdity of her persistence. “Gods, you’re not going to let this go are you?” 

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” 

“It was a long time ago.” She quickly spins in Yang’s grasp so she’s facing her, a hand tangling itself in damp curls atop of Yang’s head. They still rocked to the beat as their foreheads met. Yang’s hands trailed higher up her back, her fingertips leaving a pleasant burning sensation in their wake. They stopped to rest just below the top of her ribs. “Are you jealous Xiao Long?” Yang’s mouth twitches as she swallows thickly. Their faces were so close Blake wondered if Yang could feel her breath on her skin. 

“Not as jealous as Neon is of us right now,” Yang notes, very pleased. 

“Yang,” Blake gasps in disbelief. She pulled her head back slightly to study Yang’s face better. “ _Everyone_ is jealous of us right now.”

The smile Yang gave her brought that disorienting sensation again. Idyll she realized they weren’t really moving anymore. Just rocking back and forth slowly.

“Blake…” 

A pale hand creeped into Blake’s view and was impatiently tapping on Yang’s shoulder. Yang gave Blake an irritated look but turned to face the person, still keeping one arm wrapped around her. Cool air washed over Blake’s damp skin as she pulled away. She hadn’t realized how hot she was.

It was Neon of course who interrupted them, with Flynt looking apologetic behind her. She had her hands on her hips and she could tell her mouth was moving quickly but, even with her sensitive fanus hearing she could only make out certain words over the loud music. 

“O M G-- y-- --- --- --- and --- Blake- --- --- ” 

Confused, Blake’s eyes skirted to Yang who was nodding agreeingly but also staring blankly at Neon. She noticed Blake’s side look and smiled contently, drawing lazy circles in the air around her ear. Yang’s voice from earlier played in her head- _I can’t hear youuu -_ She giggled behind her hand. 

Blake brushed aside blonde hair and raised herself up on her toes. Her lips were brushing against the shell of Yang’s ear as she whispered, “I’m going to get a drink,” to which Yang dumbly shook her head in acknowledgement. Content, she started to head back towards the bar. Neon’s protest was lost in the noise as she walked away. When she stopped to turn around and check that Yang was following her, she noticed that Flynt and Neon had cornered her and convinced her to dance with them. 

The bar was very crowded. Blake had to wait a while to get the bartender's attention and even longer to get her water (probably because she had just ordered water). She caught a glimpse of blonde from afar and watched as Flynt practically whipped Yang around the dance floor while Neon danced and cheered beside them. Briefly, she wondered if she should feel sorry for Yang, but Yang was smiling and laughing the whole time so, it looked like she was having fun at least. Blake rested her chin against her palm and absentmindedly drummed her fingers against the bar top as she waited. The air was much cooler by the bar and she was thankful for the respite. She didn’t notice it earlier but, the dance floor was suffocatingly stuffy and hot. 

“Fancy meeting you here.” 

“Oh my gods,” Blake breathed. “Have we, like, met before?!”

“Shut up,” Yang laughs. 

Blake scoots to make room for her. “I see you managed to escape,” she remarked dryly. 

“Tell me about it,” Yang gasped leaning her head on her elbow. Her skin was flushed, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She used one hand to lift some of her thick hair off her neck, seemingly even more wild due to the humidity. “What are you drinking?” she gestured to the plastic cup that slid in front of Blake. 

“Just water.” 

“Sounds good to me!” Yang plucks the cup from Blake’s hands and takes one too many greedy gulps. 

“Or you can get your own?” Blake offers sarcastically while taking the cup away from Yang.

“We really need to work on your sharing.”

“My sharing is fine. Your manners on the other hand,”

“Like how you won’t share your books with anyone,” Yang remembers Blake’s possessiveness that one time Weiss moved her book collection back at Beacon. “Don’t want Ruby or Weiss to find out what _Ninjas of Love_ is about?”

“I don’t like people messing with things that are mine.” Blake states simply, completely ignoring the second question. 

“If you say so...” Yang huffs, too winded to continue this sparing match. 

They sit in content silence for a moment as they passed the cup back and forth between each other. Blake watched Yang with amusement while she attempted to recover, she breathed heavily and combed a hand through her thick curls in an attempt to cool off.

Yang perked up and leaned toward Blake in interest. “Having fun?” she asked cheerily. 

“You looked like _you_ were having fun.” 

“Well..” Yang grinned sheepishly, “Flynt is pretty cool,” she admitted. 

“I thought I was going to have to rescue you,” Blake joked fondly.

“Darling,” Yang drawled as she lazily draped herself across the bar and looked up at Blake through blonde locks. She paused, contemplating her response before continuing-“The only thing I think I need rescuing from is your cooking.” 

The ears on top of Blake’s head noticeably drooped. “That was one time-”

“You burned boiling water.” 

“One time!” Blake defend. “I fell asleep and...Look even _you_ didn’t know it was possible for the bottom of the pan to burn!” she exclaimed over Yang’s laughter. “Speaking of which, remember that time-”

“I know what you’re going to say and that was not my fault.” 

“Oh really?”

Yang sprung up and shook an accusing finger at Blake. “ _You_ were there too. And _you_ -” 

Blake slapped the offending hand away. “I did no such thing!” 

Yang relented, this time using the same hand that was slapped away to repeatedly poke Blake’s arm. “You _were_ there! And yes, _you_ did. _You_ cursed my masterful campfire-” 

Blake kept leaning backwards on the bar stool to try and escape Yang’s jabbing but she was laughing so hard she was afraid she might slide off the stool entirely. So she opted to just grab her wrist instead. “Shut up...” she defended weakly through giggles. “You’re ridiculous.” Yang sighed deeply and reluctantly retreated.

The next few moments were filled with more comfortable silence that was occasionally broken with snorts or giggles. Another cup of water was slid in front of them, one that Yang practically chugged. Blake cast a glance back out to the dance floor, people watching. “Do you want to dance again?” she felt Yang’s eyes on her. 

“Hey!” an unfamiliar voice startled both of them. They turned to look at the source. Two men, maybe a few years older than them (hard to tell), stood at the bar behind Yang and smiled at them. 

“Uhh...heyy,” Yang greeted unsurely. 

“Heyy,” Blake echoed.

“Haven’t seen you around here!” the one in front stated cheerily but it was more of a question. 

“Nope.” Yang responded shortly, putting emphasis on the p so it made a popping sound.

“That’s cool...” Both men looked intently at Yang. It was like Blake wasn’t even there. “So how old are you?”

“How old are _you_ ?” Yang asked defensively, aghast by his forwardness. Blake cringed. _Of course guys would try to hit on her,_ she thought dejectedly, _she’s incredibly attractive_ . She realized she wasn’t annoyed because guys were giving Yang attention, she was annoyed because Yang was giving guys attention and not _her_ . 

At the _worst_ possible time, all of team FNKI decided to approach them at the bar, apparently done dancing. They noticed the two strangers and individually introduced themselves, much to Blake’s irritation. “So, what do you do for a living?” the man asked. Blake couldn’t tell if the question was directed at just Yang or the group. 

“They’re _huntresses_! They’ve traveled all over the world!” Neon boasted excitedly for them and Blake never heard a voice more grating. She dug her nails into her palm to prevent herself from scowling. 

“Really?!” the man asked, his interested seemingly increasing with this knowledge. “I love to travel,” he added excitedly. 

Blake was not entirely sure how she ended up in this situation. A few mins ago she came close to kissing her best friend and now, Blake found herself sitting awkwardly on her bar stool, surrounded by team FNKI while a random guy flirted with said best friend next to them. Team FNKI heatedly debated _something_ , she had no clue what. The circle of FNKI seemed to be getting smaller and Kobalt was slowly occupying the space between Blake and Yang. Their voices sounded like they were underwater to her as she tried to focus on what Yang and the man were saying. Yang wasn’t saying much but she would respond whenever he asked her something. The man was animatedly telling stories about his “travels” but the longer he went on, the more and more outrageous they sounded and the less and less Blake believed he actually had done _any_ of the things he talked about. 

Why hadn’t Yang told these guys to fuck off, Blake wondered. She had _punched_ people for less. She would have brushed them off already is the wasn’t...OK with it...Right?

_What the fuck is she playing at?_

Hurriedly she pulled out her scroll.

_Blake: Is this guy full of shit?_

A few moments later, Blake saw Yang take out her scroll from the corner of her eye. She looked at her scroll then doubled over in silent laughter, gripping the bar ledge for stability. She leaned her head back and Blake would forever remember that smile. She was enamoured. It was probably the most beautiful Blake had thought a person ever looked. A strange feeling of satisfaction overcame Blake. Satisfied that she could make Yang laugh like this. That she could make Yang smile like this. 

_Yang: I can’t STAND HIM_

Despite her admission, Yang didn’t move. 

“So, do you have a boyfriend?” she heard the man ask which caused Blake to pause.

 _Ok, enough of this_

Blake stood so quickly she didn’t even register she was moving. The stool scraped across the floor loudly. She politely pushed pass Kobalt and marched up to Yang. Yang was already turned towards Blake as she approached, as if Yang had _anticipated_ it. She had a dangerous but playful and mischievous grin on her face. 

Blake didn’t exactly have a plan, but Yang evidently did. 

Yang reached out and tugged forcefully on Blake’s arm, so much so that she practically fell into her arms.

“Hey, baby,” she greeted a little too happily. Blake didn’t have time to react to the new pet name. Yang dramatically pressed a wet kiss to her cheek. The unexpectedness of it made the hairs on ears stand up. 

Yang turned back to the two men standing in front of her. “Speaking of which, have you two met my **girlfriend**?” she gushed, making sure to put heavy emphasis on the word “girlfriend”. 

“Ummmm….nooooooo...” the man trailed off nervously and looked to his friend, clearly trying to hide his shock.

Yang turned her head back to Blake and waited. 

Blake was one to catch on quick. This was a dangerous game Yang wanted to play. One wrong push could easily send everything into a spiral. But this is what they did. They pushed each other. Yang would push her and she would push back. They challenged their ideas, flirted, teased and played these unspoken games with one another. And Blake found it _freeing_ . Adam would push her but when Blake tried to push back he wouldn’t let her. He’d push her harder and send her falling. Yang seemed to instinctively know _just_ what buttons to push to drive her absolutely crazy, much to Blake’s irritation (or pleasure she wasn’t sure). But she also knew just how hard to push, hard enough to force Blake to the edge but never more. It always _felt_ real, like she was _actually_ going to fall. That was the thrilling part. But she never did. Yang never let her. More importantly, she let Blake push her back. Let her push her till _she_ was at the edge. And somehow they always managed to find the perfect balance. So, Blake would let it happen. She would let her tease her, let her challenge her, let her play these stupid games with her, let her do things she wouldn’t tolerate from anyone else. Because she knew Yang wouldn’t let her fall. 

“Hello,” she said politely but didn’t even glance at them. She cupped Yang’s cheek with one hand and used it to guide the other one to her lips, letting her mouth linger for just a few seconds too long in order to make a show of it, just as Yang did. “I missed you,” she put as much wistfulness and desire as she could feign in her voice. 

Yang turned so her body was facing Blake and her back was pressed against the bar. She urged Blake closer so that she was standing between her spread legs, essentially straddling her. Blake’s arms looped around Yang’s neck like it was the most natural thing in the world and Yang’s hands rested low on her hips, their noses practically touching.

“I missed you too baby,” Yang cooed.

Briefly, Blake had the terrifying realization that she liked it when Yang called her baby. She liked it _a lot_. She wasn’t sure just quite what to do with that information...

Yang continued to look into her eyes after she spoke. Except instead of desire, Blake saw eyes shining with playfulness and laughter that echoed her own. 

“Ermm…” “ahhh,” she distantly heard the two men exchange uncertainties 

She brought a hand up to cup Yang’s cheek again, her thumb idly tracing the curve. She gave Yang a look that said:

_Don’t fucking move_

They continued to stare longingly into each other’s eyes and waited. The seconds seemed to tick by slower than normal and it was becoming more and more difficult not to crack. She could sense it in Yang as well, the barest twinge at the corner of her mouth threatening to give them away. She noticed Yang’s eyes fall to her lips and linger there. She swallowed thickly

Suddenly, Yang’s face was nearing even closer and a stab of panic ran through Blake. She sucked in a breath. _Wait! No! Not here! Not like this!_ She thought frantically.

Yang paused, her mouth centimeters away from Blake’s. Her breath warmly washed over her lips.

“Well, it was nice talking to ya!” the man next to them rushed. She heard them hastily get up and sensed them turn their attention away from them. 

Yang waited a beat. It felt like an eternity. Then, her mouth stretched into a wide, shit-eating grin and her chest began to shake with suppressed laughter. She pulled away and Blake finally exhaled. Dazed, Blake wavered on her feet slightly. Her own grin grows on her face. Yang’s reaction was infectious and she had to bite her lip to prevent her own laughter from escaping. Blake turned her head to watch the guy’s backs. They paid and began to walk away moments later. But Yang had already lost it. Her entire body shook with incessant, suppressed laughter, her eyes were squeezed shut and she hid her face in the crook of Blake’s neck. 

Finally, the men were out of earshot and they laughed. Blake, no longer able to take it collapsed into Yang heavily. They laughed and laughed and _laughed_ . At some point, they weren’t sure _why_ they were laughing but neither could seem to stop. Yang brought both hands up to wipe her face, her eyes pricked with tears, as she attempted to compose herself. She looked at Blake and mirrored her shocked expression. _Oh my fucking god_ she wordlessly mouthed as Blake tenderly brushed the hair out of her face. Blake threw her head back and erupted in even more giggles. 

They both sucked in big breaths and breathed heavily, coming down from their highs. Yang was still stradling Blake, her arms still wrapped around her waist while Blake’s palms rested on Yang’s collarbone. Neither made an attempt to move. 

“Sorry,” Yang whispered while sucking in a breath. 

“Why?” Blake wondered in an answering whisper, confused.

“I…,” Yang began bashfully. She lifted a hand from Blake’s waist to scratch behind her head. “You looked... kind of scared...,” she admitted slowly.

 _Oh_. Warmth bloomed in Blake’s chest with adoration from the sincerity. Blake entwined her fingers with the other hand on her waist and brought it up to her face. Her eyes didn’t leave Yang’s as her lips lightly brushed against the knuckles. “You just surprised me,” she murmured. Flashes of concern and guilt flittered across Yang’s face as she cast her gaze to the side. 

“I...I might have taken it too far,” she worried under her breath

“Yang.”

The volume and firmness of Blake’s voice caused Yang’s gaze to snap back to Blake’s. 

“Do you want to ditch this place?” she asked. 

_We can just ditch them_ Echoed in the back of their minds 

“Yeah.” 

They said their goodbyes to team FNKI, collected their coats and weapons and squeezed their way back up the stairs into the bitter cold night. There were a few club goers outside this time but they paid no mind to them. Yang strolled with her hands in her pockets and Blake walked arm in arm beside her. 

Upon feeling Blake shiver, Yang wordlessly slipped her hand out of her pocket and opened her coat more, inviting Blake closer. Blake nestled into the warmth and Yang’s arm wrapped securely around her, comfortingly rubbing her arm. They filled the silence with easy chit chat about the events that night-“Did you see that guys face?!”-“Did you see _Neon’s_ face?!”. 

“Soo,” Yang began. 

“So?” Blake echoed.

“What’d you think of your first real club experience?” she asked excitedly. 

“Hmm..” Blake pondered. “It was interesting…”she trailed off teasingly. 

“Interesting? Like...” Yang pried. 

“Interesting,” Blake simply replied, goading Yang.

“ _Interesting_. Wow, Blake you really know how to flatter a woman,” Yang depanned which made Blake laugh.

“You’re right,” she replied. “It was actually terrible.”

“Terrible?!” Yang cried as she jumped away from Blake and clutched a hand over her heart, feigning personal offense. She couldn’t maintain the act for long though, not when Blake was giggling so cutely in front of her. She collapsed into a chuckle herself and gave Blake a smug grin. “You know what, Blake Belladonna? You can’t lie to me.” 

“I had fun” she admitted freely, turning to meet Yang with a smile so pure and genuine it caused Yang to blush. Blake felt her mood climb higher. “What about you?” she called.

“My first clubbing experience was _actually_ terrible.” 

“That’s no-wait what?” she started walking backwards so she could continue to face Yang.

“Oh yeah, I was just old enough to go, so we went to like the _cheapest_ place possible. And I had to wear an underage wrist band which might as well have been a giant billboard that said “For creeps only” because all these old guys _still_ kept trying to hit on me.”

“Ohh,” Blake let out a sound of understanding, momentarily distracted before deciding to get back on topic “That’s not- I was asking if you had fun?” 

“Who me?!” Yang asked disbelievingly.

“Yes _you_!” 

“Blake,” and the tone of Yang’s voice caused Blake to stop in her tracks. 

“We could be dancing. Or fighting grimm. Or, even like, I don’t know...watching paint dry!” she offered. “And I’d still have fun! As long as it was with you,” she finished warmly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Blake was momentarily stunned by the sincerity. She stared blankly at Yang for a few seconds, unsure how to respond. Suddenly, the weight of everything that was tonight hit her. It was too real. Too soon. Flirting and touching and joking were one thing but feelings were entirely something else. Yang was her partner, her best friend. Even if she wanted to, they couldn’t….shouldn’t...right?

“Gosh, Neon was right. You’re such a _dyke_ ,” Blake admonished fondly. Yang bursts out a laugh.

“I am not!...More like...Bisexual Icon,” Yang boasts, painting her hands in the air. 

“You ride motorcycles,” Blake starts listing off comically. 

“So?!” 

“You wear combat boots like all the time.” 

“Says the girl who swings around fighting grimm in crop tops and heels!” Yang begins to approach Blake, her hands stretched out before her. 

“You wear aviators. You own like four leather jackets.” Blake begins walking backwards to keep the same distance between them but she’s grinning.

“Oh?! Excuse me, I didn’t realize that wearing _aviators_ now meant you were-” 

“You’re wearing a _bomber jacket_ right now,” Blake shouted, gesturing to Yang’s outfit with both hands.. 

“You love it Blake. Admit it. You loveeee it,” Yang mocks, wagging her finger and advancing closer.

“I…,” Blake falters, flushing hotly at the unintended (or intended) double meaning. 

“ **Love it** ,” Yang finishes for her. She pauses, hands just a reach away from Blake’s waist. Blake realizes she’s waiting for her comeback. When she doesn’t take the bait, Yang’s darts to close the space between them but Blake is all dexterity. She expertly evades Yang’s hands so all Yang grabs at is air and begins running down the street, laughing maniacally. 

“H-Hey!” Yang called out dazedly. “W...Wait!” 

“Come back here!” Blake heard Yang call over thundering footsteps, but it only made her run faster. 

“How do you run in HEELS?!” Yang yells with astonishment, her voice so loud it echoed off the buildings clearly. That forces a chuckle so deep from Blake’s chest it causes her to slow. She let herself be caught in Yang’s bear hug from behind.

“Gotcha!” she cheered victoriously. “I’m sick of your sass Belladonna.” Her lips brushed against the back of a cat ear. “You think you’re so clever.”

The ears on top of Blake’s head were incredibly sensitive and feeling Yang’s lips brush against one sent a bolt of electricity down her spine. Suddenly, she was sick of it. Sick of all the dancing around each other. Sick of all the close calls. Sick of all the unspoken rules. Sick of worrying. Just _sick of it_.

“Yang,” she whispered and she felt the ground shift beneath her.

“Blake” she responded, sensing the change as well. She turned so she was embracing Blake from the front instead of behind. 

Blake was going to kiss Yang. 

Blake was going to kiss Yang until she saw the raw, unguarded emotion in the woman’s face. The force of it paralyzed her. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. All she could do was stare hopelessly at Yang. She was helpless. So, she asked breathlessly, “Kiss me?” intending to sound more confident but instead just sounding desperate. 

Blake readied herself, expecting Yang to move closer, push her away, _do something_ . But she didn’t do _anything_ . She just _stood there_ , looking dreamily at her. Then she grinned stupidly and said, 

“I love it when you’re feisty.”

Blake blinked slowly up at Yang. Once. Twice. Then-“Ugh,” Blake exhaled in a huff, rolling her eyes and unconsciously pulling away slightly. The ears on the top of her head folded back so hard they hurt and she flushed hotly as she felt herself begin to free-fall into a pit of embarrassment. Yang abruptly caught her, when her hands cupped her cheeks and her lips pressed against hers. It caused Blake to jump in surprise. The kiss was just the barest brush of lips, lasting only for a brief moment before Yang pulled away. But it caused Blake’s heart to ache with the sweetness of it.

“You’re..” Blake gasped. _Insufferable_ is what she wanted to say but every thought was wiped from her mind as Yang tilted her head and caught her lips again more fully. One hand slid from Blake’s cheek to tangle in black strands at the back of her head while the other slid down to rest in the curve of her neck, fingers splaying across her jaw. Blake’s hands gripped the collar of Yang’s coat. They kissed languidly, slowly, each brush of lips resulting in a wave of tingles that sweeps across Blake’s body and makes her toes curl. Yang pulled away first, their lips making a small smacking sound as they parted. Blake chased her lips with a small peck as they breathed raggedly. 

“Blake,” Yang whispered in breathless amazement and Blake raised up on her toes to give another peck. Yang’s mouth was open in a gasp as Blake drew back. “Blake,” Yang exhaled, still seemingly in awe. Blake couldn’t resist capturing her lips in another peck, unsure why she had gone so long without them. “Fuckkk,” Yang hissed under her breath. The roughness of it caused a hot flash of desire. She eagerly met Yang’s lips again and they kissed hotly. Yang’s arm wrapped around Blake’s waist, pressing her closer, crushingly so. Blake always suspected Yang would be fire. What she didn’t expect was for Yang to be _an inferno_ , one that completely engulfed her and razed her entire world to the ground. She gripped Yang’s coat so tightly her knuckles turned white and pulled Yang more insistently to her. The force of it caused them to stumble backwards. Yang’s arm dug deeper into her back, stabilizing them. Blake caught Yang’s lower lip and sucked. She felt Yang shiver hard and let out a long, shuddered stream of air through her nose. The reaction was thrilling. Addicting really. 

A loud boom in the distance caused one of Blake’s ears to twitch. 

They pulled apart, breathing heavily, and shared concerned looks, neither quite sure if the noise was real or just their imagination. 

Another distant boom. Yang vigilantly looks up and down the street, but it’s empty. There’s nothing. Simultaneously, both their scrolls start ringing, the noise blaring against the still night. 

“Not good,” Blake hummed worriedly as she reads the alerts. 

“Grimm?” Yang questions. 

“Grimm. And Jacques Schnee won. People are angry. There are riots,” Blake explained matter-of-factly. She continued to flip through the messages on her scroll, trying to soak up more information. “Nights over I guess,” she sighed disappointingly. 

A single metal finger hooked underneath her chin, guiding her face away from her scroll to meet Yang’s. She was overcome with the unrelenting tenderness and understanding she found there. She could easily get lost in her violet depths. But they had a duty. She brought the hand underneath her chin to her lips, kissed the finger lightly then reluctantly let it fall away. A deep, mutual understanding fell between them. No words necessary. 

The menacing growl of a nearby grimm broke their moment, which caused Yang’s eyes to harden and turn red with anger. Down the street, grimm had wandered out from an alley into the middle of the road. Yang turned to face the grimm head on, pulling up her sleeves. She felt Blake’s presence beside her, eyes also trained ahead, hand already gripping the hilt of Gambol Shroud. Blake’s presence alone filled her with determination. 

“Ohh, they picked the _wrong_ fucking night.”


End file.
